Well, I have this problem where if I try to pull back my foreskin, it hurts quite badly. Meaning that it's hard to clean out. I'm only 16 at the moment, but I'm worried about it. People I know have said I should go to the doctor about it, and I probably should, but when I go I don't know what I should say really.
And I've also heard that they usually circumcise you for this kind of thing. Is that true? It's not that I'm particuarly bothered about that, I'd just like to know. Thanks.

Boys and men need to protect themselves about medical ignorance. In the US, the first impulse is too often to cut, without any attempt to figure out what the problem is. I hate to come across as paranoid, but with my experiences, a healthy skepticism is the best defense. I had a urologist suggest circumcision as the answer to a tearing frenulum. It healed without any intervention after a few weeks. Three doctors told me my son needed a circumcision because he couldn't retract at three. We fell for it.
It's common knowledge that it is not uncommon for boys to not be able to retract at three now, and not indicative of any problem. They don't teach about the foreskin, and the medical texts pretend it doesn't exist. I find advice from others with a foreskin to be the most help.

Try my stretching instructions, a sticky near the top of the mens' health board and get back with any questions. There have been some recent posts here from guys who still have significant swelling months after a circumcision. Stretching usually works and gives a quicker fully functional result than surgery.
Geoff

Well, I have this problem where if I try to pull back my foreskin, it hurts quite badly. Meaning that it's hard to clean out. I'm only 16 at the moment, but I'm worried about it. People I know have said I should go to the doctor about it, and I probably should, but when I go I don't know what I should say really.
And I've also heard that they usually circumcise you for this kind of thing. Is that true? It's not that I'm particuarly bothered about that, I'd just like to know. Thanks.

What you have is common and is called Phimosis. This is when the foreskin is too small to be retract over the glans. Some people can stretch for a few months to get it to retract, some use a steroid cream to help in the retraction. Others need to be circumcised because no amount of stretching will correct the problem.

Whichever solution works for you, including circumcision, is perfectly ok. But you really need to go to the urologist and get his opinion on the severity of your case and possible solutions.

perhaps you do need to see a doctor for it. if it were my penis, I would follow the instructions first, for the reasons I posted. if the instructions help, there is no need to see a doctor.
another alternative, after betamethasone cream, is the use of a mechanical device called a glansie. while not cheap, they are effective, and much cheaper than the surgical alternatives.

What you have is common and is called Phimosis. This is when the foreskin is too small to be retract over the glans. Some people can stretch for a few months to get it to retract, some use a steroid cream to help in the retraction. Others need to be circumcised because no amount of stretching will correct the problem.

Whichever solution works for you, including circumcision, is perfectly ok. But you really need to go to the urologist and get his opinion on the severity of your case and possible solutions.

The steriod cream will speed up the process but most guys are able to stretch without it. It just takes a little longer. The cream won't do anything without the stretching. It's rare to really need surgery for this problem and mostly the stretching is faster. It also leaves you with a foreskin. I'd advise trying stretching on your own for a while and only go to a doctor if you need the cream.
Geoff